A Uruguayan minister has filed a lawsuit against the owners of a hostel that refused to host Israelis. A demolition order was issued to the hostel

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A lawsuit was filed against the owners of the Buena Vista de Valizas hostel in Uruguay, which refused to host an Israeli couple solely because they were from Israel. Minister Alejo Umpiérrez of the nationalist party filed a suit against the owners of the hostel and called the Minister of Tourism and the mayor of Roca, the city where the hostel is located, to join him. The purpose of the lawsuit is to protect the image of Uruguay, with an emphasis on the touristic aspect.

The story has been published on the front page of the Spanish newspaper El Pais in its edition in Uruguay. According to Minister Umpirez, “this is a violation of the law against racism, xenophobia and discrimination, as well as a criminal offense.” The minister added also: “this case and its implications have shown the public and social outcry that these events are producing, even at an international level.”

The extensive article on the incident in El Pais states that the Uruguayan Tourism Ministry has confirmed that it had received a complaint about discrimination against an Israeli couple who wanted to stay at the Valizas hostel. The complaint came from the Central Committee of Israelis in Uruguay (CCIU). “We cannot accept this behavior and is not consistent with our tradition as a country where citizens from all over the world visit”, the Minister of Tourism wrote on Twitter.

The article further states that the owner of the hostel apparently operated illegally and that the place was not registered legally. “The hostel is not registered with the Ministry of Tourism and therefore we have decided to send inspectors to check its license.”